Confused following 1200-1400 calorie eating plan

cwolfman13

bouncingbonbon wrote: »

LiveLoveFitFab wrote: »

In before, You can't build muscle on a deficit...

But really, you aren't building muscle on a deficit. Can't build muscle out of air and good intentions. Eat a couple tablespoons of peanut butter a day or add a protein shake.

Or a peanut butter protein shake.

See...this is why I have to count calories. I could tell you all day ways to go over your calorie count.

I can't be imagining the awesome muscles I see glaring back at me! where I was flat before I now have definition. I can now see my triceps whereas before the 8 weeks they were hardly visable. my obliques are a lot bigger and my hamstrings have never been as profound as they have been now and it's only because of all the squats and deadlifts with weighs. I've been going to gym for 12 years. I've done years of upper body weights , pilates, zumba, cycling, step with weights, Barre, core, etc etc.. It is just that I have stepped up my gym regime by incorporating weights overall but especially lower body and incorporating weights with ab exercises too. I already had muscles so an 8 week program is not an impossibility. I'm not a gym or exercise newbie. I've simply upped my regime. maybe people have a hard time believing that I have had visible muscle gain after 8 weeks because they think I started from scratch but I've had a good foundation to build on and I do gain muscle easily.

It would actually be much easier to build muscle if you were a noob, not the other way around...the more "veteran" you are, the harder it is...much harder.

If it were that easy to build muscle, I'd be jacked to all hell by now. I think you've cut some fat and thus have greater definition combined with "pump"

cerise_noir

bouncingbonbon wrote: »

Afura wrote: »

quiksylver296 wrote: »

bouncingbonbon wrote: »

yes. I am using two food Apps. This one and Shealth. If the food is not on, I look on the packaging OR Online for the calories and macro nutrients. I never guess. I do weigh my food with a digital scale too.

Perfect! Time for ice cream, then! Or peanut butter, or cheese, or...

All the cheeses! @TeaBea link is a good one for figuring out what foods can help bump up your calories. If you're feeling satisfied after a meal, possibly try adding in some additional snack times (ie a stick of cheese an hour or so after lunch, if not added in on what you may have for lunch as a topping). Your name suggests you may like bonbons, go for the bonbons!

I don't want to eat for the sake of filling calories especially If I'm not hungry. As it stands right now my app is telling me I have 500 calories to go but it is 8:30 pm here and I've had dinner earlier. There is no way I can eat that much still before bed. So should it matter as I've reached my target macro nutrients for the day?

Can you open your food diary for us?

If you're having going trouble meeting goal, add more fats.

metalmeow1

You've stated you've had children. Remember that it may not necessarily be fat, but excess skin.
Most women can never have their body 100% pre-baby again. Your body is changed forever.
That in mind, try building muscle to fill in the excess skin (or burn fat if that's what it is) and slowly reduce calories so your skin has more time to adjust.